SSM will be in Denver this weekend to play the Colorado Select. JWHL East weekend Nov 13-15 will have NAHA facing Colorado Select. We'll see if they can be added to the list as these will be good early season tests for them.

RStarr

11-06-2009, 10:27 AM

SSM will be in Denver this weekend to play the Colorado Select. JWHL East weekend Nov 13-15 will have NAHA facing Colorado Select. We'll see if they can be added to the list as these will be good early season tests for them.
Agreed. If Marni can get it going, Select should be in the mixola.

law

11-06-2009, 11:19 AM

usual suspects for USA: NAHA, SSM, LC, Mission

I'd not be too quick to discount Team Illinois. They've showed some spunk thus far. I doubt if many at Mission are thinking they'll walk over TI at State.

gotice

11-06-2009, 01:21 PM

Didn't see that coming.... :rolleyes:

you were not expecting me to leave them off, were you?:D

Trillium

11-06-2009, 01:36 PM

I'd not be too quick to discount Team Illinois. They've showed some spunk thus far. I doubt if many at Mission are thinking they'll walk over TI at State.

I wouldn't put TI in the same group as the other teams mentioned....unless they just had a really off game when I saw them, they didn't show much at the Stoney Creek tourney in losing 5-0 to the Toronto Aeros.

IceIsNice

11-06-2009, 02:00 PM

I wouldn't put TI in the same group as the other teams mentioned....unless they just had a really off game when I saw them, they didn't show much at the Stoney Creek tourney in losing 5-0 to the Toronto Aeros.
I haven't seen either TI nor the Toronto Aeros, but....... I seem to recall that the Aeros played three phenomenal exhbition games against some pretty decent D-1 college teams. Ergo, isn't that just like saying "TI didn't show much in losing 5-0 to (Insert top 10 college team here)"?

TI beat NAHA White in OT in the semi-finals of the Assabet Tournament, and then lost to the AV16's in OT for the final. AV may or may not be as strong as they have been in recent years, but still, beating NAHA White and playing that competitively with AV can't be a fluke.

Evidence suggests that TI does belong in that elite group, at least until further evidence proves otherwise (i.e., Manon tourney?).

Trillium

11-06-2009, 03:01 PM

I haven't seen either TI nor the Toronto Aeros, but....... I seem to recall that the Aeros played three phenomenal exhbition games against some pretty decent D-1 college teams. Ergo, isn't that just like saying "TI didn't show much in losing 5-0 to (Insert top 10 college team here)"?

TI beat NAHA White in OT in the semi-finals of the Assabet Tournament, and then lost to the AV16's in OT for the final. AV may or may not be as strong as they have been in recent years, but still, beating NAHA White and playing that competitively with AV can't be a fluke.

Evidence suggests that TI does belong in that elite group, at least until further evidence proves otherwise (i.e., Manon tourney?).

LOL. OK, points taken.

But from I have seen, Stoney Creek, for example is another team which hasn't been mentioned yet, that is still better than TI.

Having seen Mission and LC at the same event in Stoney, I would rate both of them better than TI, though neither looks nearly as good as they were a year ago. The Aeros and Mississauga, on the other hand, are both better than they were last year.

I guess we will learn more at the NAHA showcase in a couple of weeks.

mainehockey07

11-07-2009, 02:51 PM

i saw all the us teams at the can am cup in detroit a few weeks ago, and lc definitely looked the best..mission and naha both seemed to struggle, but shattuck looked solid. stoneycreek didnt look as good as they have in past years, and nor did durham who lost 9-0 to lc, but kept it close with everyone else.

as far as ti goes, they did upset mission 2-0 last month, so states should be interesting this year for illinoois. speaking of states-any word on lc's status? can they play in them?

Trillium

11-07-2009, 04:18 PM

i saw all the us teams at the can am cup in detroit a few weeks ago, and lc definitely looked the best..mission and naha both seemed to struggle, but shattuck looked solid. stoneycreek didnt look as good as they have in past years, and nor did durham who lost 9-0 to lc, but kept it close with everyone else.

as far as ti goes, they did upset mission 2-0 last month, so states should be interesting this year for illinoois. speaking of states-any word on lc's status? can they play in them?

What's up re: lc....why wouldn't they be able to play in states?

Agree that Stoney is not as good as in past years, though they have improved since beginning of year and would still be top 4 in Ontario. Durham lost all their players (to graduation, and movement) so they are now among the weakest teams in Ontario this year.

Trillium

11-07-2009, 04:25 PM

IMHO Montpetit number one in Canada.

Aeros, Missy and BC Pursuit next three teams.

Who does Montpetit have that would make them so dominant? I must say I know nothing about them.

I would suggest BC Pursuit would have to be a long way down the list, even if they had every good player in BC: either there is a monumental problem with player selection by the Province of BC, or the talent there just doesn't compare at the moment with whats available in other parts of the country. Team BC losing every game, including 13-0 to Team Manitoba at Nationals??? Ouch.

justthedriver

11-07-2009, 07:19 PM

What's up re: lc....why wouldn't they be able to play in states?

Agree that Stoney is not as good as in past years, though they have improved since beginning of year and would still be top 4 in Ontario. Durham lost all their players (to graduation, and movement) so they are now among the weakest teams in Ontario this year.

MAHA is holding to a rule that states no participation by a team,player or coach in a non USA Hockey sanctioned tournament shall take place. If they do then none of the mentioned gets to participate in the State tournament which puts them out for a chance to go to Nationals. As it stands now MAHA is not letting Little Caesars or Honeybaked participate as they both went to NAHA in September which is not sanctioned by USA Hockey. In years past this rule had been turned a blind eye as NAHA took place before September 1 which is prior to the official start of the Michigan Hockey season. This year they missed by a couple days. Rumor has it someone, somewhere made a stink about it so MAHA is standing by the rule. MAHA is stating that they are abiding by the USA Hockey rule on this issue. Both teams are now appealing this decision and are asking MAHA to not punish the players as they or the parents, or the majority, did not know about the tournament being sanctioned or not. The teams management are asking to punish the directors or coaches but not the girls. Both teams have stated their cases and mentioned that if MAHA is standing on a vague USA Hockey rule which apparently does not have as abrupt punishment then how is it all the other teams that attended are not under the same fire as the 2 Michigan teams are. Also questioned by both teams is why was it okay for the head of MAHA's daughter to participate in NAHA a few years back with no reprocussions and now it is taboo for a Michigan team to participate. Politics and egos are at the fore front in Michigan for the next week or so. Should you have a reply to this and you would like to voice your opinion to Patty Madden of MAHA her contact info can be found at www.maha.org or you can locate it on the USA Hockey site. To me it does not seem fair to not let these girls go to States as they were only going to a tournament that they were told the teams were attending. How many girls or parents actually check to see if the tournaments are sanctioned or not. I know in the years I took my daughter I personally never checked.

Trillium

11-07-2009, 09:46 PM

Politics and egos are at the fore front in Michigan for the next week or so. .

Only for a week or so? Your really lucky there then

:rolleyes: :)

justthedriver

11-07-2009, 10:56 PM

Only for a week or so? Your really lucky there then

:rolleyes: :)

Was trying not only to be nice but was showing my optomistic side in overdrive with a nitrous boost;)

OnMAA

11-08-2009, 02:20 AM

Who does Montpetit have that would make them so dominant? I must say I know nothing about them.

I would suggest BC Pursuit would have to be a long way down the list, even if they had every good player in BC: either there is a monumental problem with player selection by the Province of BC, or the talent there just doesn't compare at the moment with whats available in other parts of the country. Team BC losing every game, including 13-0 to Team Manitoba at Nationals??? Ouch.

The top two players from Team Manitoba, Who single handedly almost beat Ontario Red, and the Top player on Team Sask all play on BC pursuit and are all rostered on TC U18. In all 4 players on Team Manitoba, 3 from Team Sask and one from Team Alberta are all rostered on BC Pursuit.

5 ex Team Quebec players (91's) and 5 current Team Quebec players all play for Montpetit, including D'Aoust, Barker and Youville.

Trillium

11-08-2009, 08:52 AM

The top two players from Team Manitoba, Who single handedly almost beat Ontario Red, and the Top player on Team Sask all play on BC pursuit and are all rostered on TC U18. In all 4 players on Team Manitoba, 3 from Team Sask and one from Team Alberta are all rostered on BC Pursuit.

5 ex Team Quebec players (91's) and 5 current Team Quebec players all play for Montpetit, including D'Aoust, Barker and Youville.

Interesting. Does either team ever play any of the top NA teams so anyone could see how they actually stack up?

OnMAA

11-08-2009, 10:20 AM

Interesting. Does either team ever play any of the top NA teams so anyone could see how they actually stack up?

Montpetit is in the McGill tournament next weekend. Team BC Pursuit will be at Winterlude and plays in tournaments out in the mid west.